And joseph kinsey



(No Model.) 7 Y J. MEEHAN & J. KI NSEY Rail Joint.

No. 230,643. Patented Aug ."3, 1880.

UNITE STATES PATENT Fries,

JAMES MEEHAN, OF NEWPORT, KENTUCKY, AND JOSEPH KINSEY, OF

CINCINNATI, OHIO.

RAlL-JOlNT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 236,643, dated August 3, 1880,

Application filed April 23, 1880. (N0 model.)

To all whom it may concern Be it known that we, JAMES MEEHAN and JOSEPH KINsEY, citizens of the United States,

I have invented a new and Improved Rail-Joint;

and we do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, concise, and exact description of the same, sufficient to enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use it, reference being bad to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, wherein Figure 1 is a horizontal section of two railroad-rails connected by our improved joint. Fig. 2 is a transverse section of the same. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the joint.

Similar letters of reference in the several figures of the accompanying drawings denote the same parts.

Our invention has for its object to provide an improved coupling or joint for railroadrails whereby the rails are made continuous in effect and supported and strengthened vertitically and laterally; and to this end it con-- sists in the application to the rails and fishplates of a series of bolts, headed at one end and slotted at the other, put through the rails and fish-plates from the inner side, so that the slotted ends shall project through the outer fish-plates and receivea beveled strip of wood, metal, or other suitable material slipped over them, and a beveled key forced through the slots of the whole series, so as to clamp the beveled strip down to the fish-plate and the two fish-plates against the rails, as 1 will now proceed to describe.

In the accompanying drawings, A A represent two railroad-rails of any pattern or style, and B the fish-plates covering the joint between the contiguous ends of the rails. G O are headed bolts, two or more being used, passed through the fish-plates and rails with their heads against the inner fish-plate. The outer ends of the bolts are unprovided with heads, but are slotted laterally to receive a wedge shaped or beveled key. Over these ends of the bolts is placed a beveled strip, D,

of wood or other elastic material, so as to fit snugly against the outer fish-plate, and a metal plate, E, is also placed over the bolts, so as to bear against the outer face of the strip D. At-

ter these have been applied the beveled'key F, which is preferably made of steel, is passed through the whole numberot' slots in the bolts, with its beveled side against the metal plate E and its narrow end opposite the wide end of the strip D. When the wedge is driven up to its place the fish-plates are driven down firmly against the rail, and the strip D and plate E all firmly clamped between the wedge and outer fish-plate, thereby making a firm and secure joint.

By inserting the wedge in the manner described and shown the inner face of the clastic strip D next the fish-plateis parallel with the outer edge of the steel key, and the pressure of the key distributed along the whole length of the bearing-plate E; therefore the wedge is held securely in place without any liability of slipping or working loose in the bolts.

The bolt-holes through the rails may be enlarged or made oval to permit the contraction and expansion of the rails, and the bolts may be made round or angular in cross-section but they should be of the same length from the heads to the outer ends of the slots.

The elastic strip D absorbs the jar of the rails under the blows of passingtrains, and prevents the disintegration or crystallization of the iron in the bolts or other parts of the joint, and also deadens the short click of the car-wheels as they pass over the joint. The interposed metal plate E strengthens the connection and prevents the key from crushing into the wooden strip while being driven and of metal and used either with or without the metal strip E; but we prefer to use a strip of seasoned oak wood, although any other suitable elastic strip may be employed instead.

We are aware that two reversed beveled keys have been applied to slotted bolts in a fish-joint with their beveled edges bearing against each other, in which position, unless secured together in some way, the keys are liable to work endwise and slip out of the bolts; but by fitting the beveled strip 1) or plate E over and upon the bolts as we propose, this difiiculty is entirely overcome, and as neither can move endwise the key is also prevented from slipping.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim isl. The combination of the elastic beveled strip D with the fish plates and rails, and with the slotted bolts and beveled steel key, substantially as described, for the purpose specified.

2. The metal plate E, in combination with the beveled strip 1), bolts 0, and beveled key F, substantially as described, for the purpose specified.

3. The combination of parts for forming the joints of railroad-rails, in connection with fishplates, to wit: bolts 0, headed atone end and slotted in the other end, a beveled metal key to be inserted through the holesin all the bolts of the joint, and a beveled strip to fit over the bolts, so as to bear against the outer fish-plates of a joint and be clamped thereto by the key and bolts, substantially as described.

In testimony of which invention we have hereunto set our hands this 17th day of March, A. D. 1880.

JAMES MEEHAN. JOSEPH KINSEY.

Witnesses:

BENJ. H. 001;, E. A. ELLsWoRTI-I. 

